Citrus and Love
by Lucicelo
Summary: Chat Noir finds out about Ladybug's crush through the new intoxicating perfume she wore during their patrol. In his normal life, he smells this scent coming from none other then Marinette.


_A/N: First time writing for this fandom and I am excited! I'm hoping I get another bite of inspiration after this oneshot to write again for this fandom._

 _-Lucicelo_

* * *

On their latest patrol, no form of akuma popped up through the early hours of the night. Relief showed on their faces on finding nothing out the ordinary. In their initial discussion, they predicted another fight. After all, a stressful week of fighting brought on a predicament. They desired a well deserved break. An uneventful evening with nothing to solve. Exhaustion filled their bodies and minds. They slowed their footsteps and settled onto a random roof.

Ladybug showed signs of fatigue. From the slight bags under her eyes to the tiredness in her voice. She daydreamed on going home and sleeping in her comfortable bed. Snuggling into her pillow and inhaling the lingering scent of the bakery she lived above. After a long day in her regular life, she wanted nothing more than to sleep. She dragged on her feet and caught up to Chat Noir.

Chat Noir yawned. Stretching his arms above his head and rubbed his eyes. He hid the action with a quick grin before Ladybug noticed. Looking bad in front of her wasn't in his plans. After all, he wanted to present himself in a favorable light.

They settled on their spots as they took in the lights of the skyline of Paris.

A scent reached Chat Noir's nose. A nice combination of citrus and an undertone of flowers. Another note of sweetness surfaced during a deep inhale. Sniffing the air, he found the source when he turned his head. _Ladybug._ This made him do a double take. Leaning closer, he sniffed again and he smiled. He didn't believe the source came from her. She wore no perfume on their patrols.

He tried to recall any memories which featured this scent. Nothing resurfaced. It fitted her well. Light enough where it didn't cause him to sneeze. Scooting closer to her, he felt entranced and wanted nothing more than to press his nose to her skin. To hold her close in his arms. Lose himself. He held himself back before he reached up his hand.

No breaking personal space.

In some instances during their battles, he got a tad too close. He jumped back in time. Through other instances, they ran into each other which caused their physical contact. Then again, Ladybug didn't mind him getting close to her face. She always seemed amused at his antics. This encouraged him to continue on his puns and his compliments.

He yelped when Ladybug pushed his face away with her pointer finger. He got close again without thinking. Pouting, his heart fluttered when she smiled

She asked with a playful tone. "Okay, what are you doing kitty?"

Chat Noir winked, his tail swished behind him. "My lady, you smell especially nice today. Are you trying to impress me? I have waited for this day for such a long time. I must say, it smells delightful!"

"You wish!" She snickered and rubbed her tired eyes. "But...thank you, Chat Noir. I wondered if there was too much of the perfume on me. I kept smelling it all day." Chat Noir shook his head to inform her nothing of the sort. "At least someone noticed my new perfume."

* * *

Marinette grabbed her perfume from her locker before she closed it. She listened to Alya with determination on her face. Alya explained the basics of wearing perfume. She showed her the proper areas on where to dab the liquid. Too much irritated the nose and made people sniffle. Especially those with asthma problems. Alya compared it to Chloé's manner of wearing her scents. She added a spritz too far which took up the vicinity of their classrooms.

Marinette bought a small rollerball perfume to start. A simple brand she managed to afford with her savings. The first one she sampled. Alya nodded in approval at the brand she chose. Stating she bought a similar one but in a different scent. She presented it to her before they went to Marinette's locker.

Alya unscrewed the top and motioned Marinette to lift her hands. "You need to put them on your wrists and the back of your ears."

Marinette furrowed her brows. "I never knew it was such a small amount. I see girls spray it all over after we finish gym class."

Alya waved the hand holding the perfume. "You're supposed to enhance your appeal, not mask the fact you haven't showered. We can all tell when someone hasn't showered. Anyway, I'm surprised you never knew this information."

Marinette shrugged her shoulders. "I don't wear it often. I live in a bakery. Half the time, I think I smell like the pastries from the bakery. No need to waste money on a bottle." Alya giggled. "Remember when you went home and your mom thought you spoiled your dinner?"

Alya harrumphed as she screwed the top of the perfume shut. "Even when I called your mom to plead my case, she thought I was lying to her. Here you go." She deposited the rollerball into Marinette's open palm. "Just walk past him, real close I should add, and say hi."

"That's it? You know how nervous I get when we are near each other." Marinette blushed and tucked a stray hair behind her ear.

"Well, you're improving in my opinion. Maybe, you can just start talking with him about whatever you like. Oh I don't know, for example...Ladybug!" Alya grinned. "He always looks interested when someone says her name. Why not start with that?"

Marinette sighed, "Alright, I'll go looking for him. Just please give me another topic. Ladybug is all _you_ talk about, not him."

They heard a familiar laugh coming their way and both sighed. Their good mood went down a bit. Once Chloé and Sabrina walked around the corner, they noticed the books in Sabrina's arms blocked her vision. Other students went out of their way to avoid the pair. No one enjoyed having books slammed onto them.

Marinette ignored them as she opened her locker. She deposited her perfume on one of the shelves and fiddled with some of the contents. Glad for the distraction, Alya showed her a new installment of her Ladybug blog.

Chloé boasted. "I mean, it took such a long time for Adrien to say yes. Being the considerate person I am, I let him plan out the day to meet him."

Sabrina's muffled voice came from behind the books. "That's great Chloé!"

Alya and Marinette shared a glance.

The blonde continued on, flipping her hair back over her shoulder as she sauntered down the hall. "We are going to walk through the park this afternoon! I already phoned in a catering service to bring me a basket of food before school is over. All the details are finished."

Alya furrowed her brows. "There's no way Adrien would go out with her." She saw Marinette's dejected face. "Don't worry, you know how over the top she acts sometimes. Look! Adrien's coming down the hall!" She turned the girl around and pushed her toward his direction. "Go talk to him!"

Marinette composed herself enough before Adrien noticed her and waved with a smile. She laughed nervously and returned the gesture. Walking closer, she managed to stutter a hello before Chloé ran past her. Chloé pushing her aside and Sabrina blocked her line toward Adrien. Marinette glared at the girls and backed away from them. Chloé dragged Adrien down the hall, leaving Marinette to watch them with a sigh.

Alya hurried to her side and shook her head. "That was so rude." She patted Marinette's shoulder and comforted her. "You'll have another chance to talk with him."

Marinette doubted it.

Throughout he day, Chloé remained stuck at Adrien's side. Giving Marinette no chance to get near the blond. She gave up as lunchtime came along and she poked at her food. Resigning the fact that her plan failed.

* * *

Ladybug worried her bottom lip.

Chat Noir caught her uncharacteristic silence. Her sadness showed through her eyes. She fiddled with her fingers. Hunching her shoulders, she kept staring down at the road. Following her line of vision, he saw a couple walking down the path. Lost in their own world.

"Ladybug...is something wrong?" Chat Noir reached out his hand and laid it over her gloved hand. "I'm always here to listen to you." Ladybug turned to him. "You're a special friend to me."

"Are you sure?" She licked her chapped lips. "I'm going to pour my heart here to you."

"Positive." Chat Noir nodded his head. "I'm all ears." He removed his hand from her just to cup the back of his cat ears. This made Ladybug snicker, he wiggled his eyebrows with a grin. Their laugh reduced into slight giggles until they went into silence.

She admitted with a sigh. "You see...I wore this perfume for the guy I like to notice me. My best friend told me a new scent might get his attention. He didn't notice it. Even worse, he's going on a date with another girl. I don't like her much but it is not because of him. A lot of people don't find her very nice."

Chat Noir gritted his teeth. Averting his eyes from her, his stomach dropped. An aching feeling of despair filled his heart. Throughout this time, he tricked himself into thinking Ladybug harbored no interest in anyone. She disregarded his compliments. His sincere words she took as flirtatious and unmeaning. This hurt him more than anything else. Of course, Ladybug had someone she desired more than anyone in the world. A special person who captured her heart. She deserved nothing but the best person to love her.

His eyes narrowed. This guy must be blind to not see the jewel in front of his eyes. He wanted nothing more than to say horrible things about Ladybug's love interest. Push down this stranger's image to raise up his own. He berated himself. No. She needed him. This was not the time to let his emotions get the better of him. He was an ear to listen to her problems. At least, attempt to find a solution for her sake.

Coughing into his hand, he asked her. "Does he know you're Ladybug?"

She shook her head. "It's better that he doesn't know about Ladybug." Her smile didn't reach her eyes. "He might love Ladybug more than me. The real girl underneath the mask cannot compare to the image. I can't imagine having to compete with someone who is brave and valiant." She reached up her hand and touched her earring. "The true me is not confident enough to even ask the boy she likes a simple question."

Chat Noir gave her hand a squeeze. "You are more than enough." Ladybug placed her head on his shoulder which made his heart skip a beat. "He'll...come around. You're an amazing person and he will see it."

"You always know what to say Chat Noir." Ladybug told him with gratefulness. "You're always sincere. Thank you."

Her perfume overwhelmed him. His mind spun. Chat Noir closed his eyes and basked in her presence. He didn't answer her. Their moment would get ruined over talking about this mystery guy.

"Chat Noir?"

"My lady...I'll always be here for you." He declared.

* * *

Alya bombarded Marinette before she made it through the front doors. Her actions surprised Marinette enough to drop her backpack onto the floor. Marinette managed to pick it up before Alya pulled the unwilling girl toward an empty hallway. In their journey, they saw no one walking through the halls. She checked to make sure no one else saw them. When she knew no one would ease drop on their conversation, she turned back to Marinette.

Marinette inquired as she caught her breath. She gulped down air and placed her hand on her chest. "Alya? What's going on? You know I'm not fully awake right now." She yawned and rubbed her eyes. "I need coffee."

Alya placed her hands on her hips. "Well, this will wake you up. No coffee required and no crash later on in the day. It was not a date!"

Marinette blinked, she tilted her head as she inquired. "What?"

Alya informed her. "Adrien didn't go on a date with Chloé. She wanted to take pictures of him while he wore her designs. He agreed because he is helping out three other people with their projects. You can even ask him to wear yours!" She grinned and nudged the stunned girl. "See? We had nothing to worry about. Nino would have told me when I saw him yesterday. He confirmed my suspicions."

Marinette muttered. "So...he didn't go out with Chloé. That's so great to hear." She sighed in relief. "I kept imagining Chloé shoving this in our faces this morning. I dreaded waking up and finding out the details on the date."

Alya clasped her hands together. "Our day will get so much better." She picked up the scent around Marinette. "You're wearing the perfume again!" Alya grinned.

Marinette's twirled a piece of her hair with a longing smile. "Someone told me yesterday it smelled really nice. I decided to start wearing it whenever I leave home."

Chat Noir always managed to comfort her during dire times. They needed to have more conversations on rooftops. She might find out something new about her leather clad partner. They agreed on keeping their identities a secret. Other topics were open for discussion.

 _"Oooooh._ Who is this person?" Alya hooked arms with Marinette. "You have to tell me all about them. Are they nice?"

Marinette smiled with a nod. "Very nice. Uses too many puns but manages to make me feel better. A great listener as well."

"Does this person take classes here?"

Marinette pondered before she answered. "No. I'll ask him next time."

"Another contestant for your love?" Alya winked at her.

She laughed it off. "Not at all! We should get to class before we are late."

* * *

Adrien stretched his arms above his head. Yawning big, he continued on his path toward class. He waved at the other students and greeted them. Going to four locations yesterday tired him out. Most of his modeling gigs had him stay on location for hours at a time. Although, three out of four made the process easier for him. All the aspects of their photo shoots got set up before he arrived. The clothing was presented to him and the changes were fluid. Nothing too extravagant. They wanted to set up their designs in the best light.

Chloé extended his stay through delaying her photo shoot. Her obvious intentions showed through the large tent with the caterers. The photographer and clothing came late in the afternoon. Even the photos took longer due to Chloé giving directions to the photographer. They butted heads which had him checking his phone too often. Good thing he scheduled his time with her after the first three students.

His patrol with Ladybug rose his spirits up from his tiring afternoon. Her laid back attitude brought a smile to his face. The tiredness crept up to him but he fought it off. Just sitting next to her was enough for him.

To ease the stress on his back, he fiddled with his backpack strap. His muscles ached and he arrived home a little too late to take a long bath. In the morning, he showered quick and ran out the door to his ride. He planned out an afternoon in the bath and then sleep without any disturbances.

Adrien froze in his tracks when he caught a whiff of a familiar smell. _Ladybug's perfume._ Of course, he knew girls wore similar scents all the time. Girls didn't keep the same one for a long period of time. He assumed they changed into different ones. Plenty of girls he befriended changed their routine around until they settled with a good one. Turning his head, he saw Marinette and Alya hurrying past him. Marinette was the one closest to him.

He stared at her profile and a familiarity washed over him. Imagining a mask over her eyes, he recognized the girl who haunted his thoughts. He briefly closed his eyes and her voice registered as Ladybug's. Everything fit in the proper place.

A thrill went through him. A sense of discovery on having found out her identity. He mentally beat himself up for not noticing this sooner. They even wore the same hairstyle!

 _Ladybug?!_ Adrien's eyes widened, he clasped hand over his mouth. _She's...Ladybug. How do I handle this? I mean...she wanted us to keep our real lives separate from our hero lives. I might end up blurting out her name during a battle._

Marinette gazed at him and shyly waved. "H-Hello Adrien." Alya slapped her back before she left her alone with him. "H-How are you doing today?"

"Hello, Marinette." Adrien took his hand off his face and grinned big. "How are you doing? Are you wearing perfume today? It smells nice."

Marinette's face went bright red. "Ah-thank you Adrien. Only one other person noticed yesterday. Then again, we are in the middle of another major project." She rubbed the back of her neck. "Not surprising everyone is so busy. Which reminds me," She gulped. "I heard you modeled some of the designs from our classmates. I know you're busy but..."

Adrien told her. "Do you want me to go to your house after school?" Marinette stared at him in shock. "You wanted to ask me to model your clothes right? In return, you have to model mine."

"Y-Yours?!"

Adrien nodded his head. "I haven't found someone who fit what I designed. I think you're perfect. What do you say?"

"Of course!" Marinette smiled big. "I don't have a photographer but I can ask Alya to use her skills to help me."

"Sounds like a plan." He motioned to the classroom. "We should get going. We'll continue on talking around lunchtime. This way we can exchange our notebooks before we get to the clothing." A perfect excuse to hang around her. He wanted to glance at more aspects of Marinette and confirm for himself that she was Ladybug. Then again, he was more than convinced.

"Sure." Marinette smiled, she held in a yell of excitement. "I have to call and tell my mom so she's not surprised you're there."

"No problem with me."

When they entered the classroom, Alya gave Marinette a questioning look. Waiting for any signs of a failed attempt at a conversation. Marinette sneaked a sign of victory when Adrien placed his attention toward Nino. Alya grinned back at her. Motioning her to hurry up to their seats to discuss what happened. Once Marinette sat down in her seat, they whispered quick between each other.

Nino leaned back on his seat as Adrien grew comfortable. "Did you ever find someone to model your stuff? You need to focus on your own designs. The deadline is next weeks you know."

"I did. I found the perfect girl." Adrien glanced behind him and saw the excited grin on Marinette's face while she talked with Alya. "We are going to meet up after school."

Nino patted his shoulder. "Good, now I don't have to worry about you being lazy."

Adrien laughed in response. "I would have to say the same about you."

Once their teacher addressed the class, they focused their attention onto him. Although, Adrien's thoughts went toward the girl sitting behind him.

The end.


End file.
